A Collection of Dad's Essay's & Writings - Welcome

- THE QUALITY OF LIFE -
“The Quality of Life is more important
than Life itself”
he most significant meaning of the word “quality”, according to the Waverly Dictionary based on Dr.
Samuel Johnson's work, is that it refers to the nature or characteristic of anything, as well as that it
signifies a degree of excellence. It is the latter meaning that is under scrutiny as it pertains to human
existence. Dr. Johnson remarks that quality is better than quantity, but a large segment of mankind
has opted for the latter, thereby losing many of the joys of living. The larger segment of this discourse
will highlight a few of the major conditions, events and changes that took place during the 19th
century in Europe and how it affected the lives of citizens.
It is unfortunate that the quality of life eludes many because of personal disaster, tragedy, sickness, poverty and
war. It is equally unfortunate that too many do not attain to that level simply because they do not strive for it or are
not given the opportunity to enjoy it. The pressure of taking care of the necessities of life is a plague that takes much
of the pleasure away from many. For those who are able to look after the luxuries and let the necessities take care of
themselves, have a good recipe for the pursuit of happiness. Economics and politics have been the major influences
on individuals throughout history, but the changes that were needed for a higher standard of living came about slowly
and with difficulty. The lifestyles and the opportunities offered differ in various ages throughout history and differ in
various cultures. It is a sad comment that in the early years of the 21st century there are huge disparities between the
very rich and the very poor and that homelessness should be part of current society.
There is a trite phrase that mentions "the good old days" which is an idealized vision of ages gone by and which is
a romanticized nostalgia that sometimes clouds historical reality. But having said that, those who ignore history, may
well make the mistakes that create unnecessary problems. Each age and each country can boast some contribution to
the improvement of life for its citizens and historians can record the miseries of life in those good old days. It would
take a good sized volume to give a complete picture of all the events that have brought mankind to the point where
many can enjoy a certain quality of life.
Certainly the lowliest of beings were mired in poverty while royalty, nobility and those in authority were ever
fearful of losing their power to rivals. There is evidence that the lifespan in the first 1800 years after the beginning of
the Christian era was short for most citizens. Even in the early years of the 19th century lifespan was averaged at 30.
There is one medieval anecdote that has come down through the ages that may well illustrate that certain minor
adjustments meant a great deal to those whose menial existence had some bright moments.
Historians relate that St Bernard of Clairveau, who lived from 1091 to 1153, was approached by a priest from a
small rural parish with a problem. He complained that his members were being plagued by an infestation of
mosquitoes that made attendance at mass intolerable. St. Bernard, who had a reputation for miraculous deeds,
thought for a moment, then assured the priest that on the coming Sunday the pesky mosquitoes would be gone. When
the parish members assembled the following Sunday there were no insects to create discomfort for the congregation.
The priest was thankful and inquired how St. Bernard had managed this miracle. Bernard replied that he had
excommunicated the pesky insects. This wise churchman knew when the mosquito season would end in that district.
It may well be that this small comfort added greatly to the quality of life for these peasant parishioners.
The political events and the countless wars are well documented, but not much has been written about the
tradesman, the shopkeeper, the artist, the musician, the writer and persons who did not create wars or dethrone those
in power. A few social histories give an insight into life of an average citizen.
It is evident that only in the last 200 years has the opportunity for bettering the lives of a large number of people
been possible. Ingenuity and what contemporary society calls entrepreneurship have on many occasions created a
better lifestyle but it is in the sphere of social action that improvement in living standards was achieved.
What devastated some idealistic form of proper lifestyle was disease and the lack of proper hygiene and the
discoveries of the 19th century in the field of germ isolation, prevention and cure came hand in hand with the
Industrial Revolution and dramatic changes in the way mankind lived. The beginnings of the Industrial Revolution
did not improve living conditions in the first decades. There were publications on economics that espoused certain
doctrines but not until the idea of social legislation did these impact beneficially for the average man. Socialism
became the first reaction of the Industrial Revolution. In France, Germany and Britain the new labor laws did little to
alleviate the misery of the workers. In the early 19th century an English mill worker could expect eight shillings for a
15 hour day, six days a week. It would be 30 years before even the most elementary reforms would be suggested. For
some the apologia from the more fortunate in life was the thought that “virtue breeds wealth” and “sin breeds
poverty”. It was a convenient explanation from those who had no desire for reform.
The major disruption to an old order in the 18th century came about when the storming of the Bastille in Paris
was responsible for the French Revolution and the horrors that followed. It only ended with the battle of Waterloo in
June 1815 and the exile of a tyrant. It is interesting to note that an uprising similar to the horrifying French
Revolution could not have taken place in another major empire, because good common sense prevailed. The Imperial
House of Habsburg was ruled by benevolent autocrats who understood how to keep order in their lands. In Vienna,
there was no storming of the Hofburg Palace, the fortress of the absolute. The Austrian Habsburgs were friendly,
urbane, and simple, almost like the citizens they ruled. Herein lays the philosophy widespread throughout a hundred
years of German history, that: “A happy people are a contented people”.
It is amazing that something as simple as a dance should influence the political scene and create the theory of a